John d



.I. D, LEWIS.

Cribs for Children.

No. 145,218. Patented Dec-2,1873

Wig Z5525 [Ml/V2025 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOII) D. LEVIS, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CRIBS FOR CHILDREN.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 145,218, dated December2, 1:573; application filed July 24, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. Lnwrs, of

Toronto, in the coluity of York, Province of Ontario, Dominion ofCanada, have invented certain new and useful Impro v ements in OhildsSpring-Cribs and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompa nyin gdrawings making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a childs crib embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sidecle- -'ation of said crib shut up when not in use, and Fig. 3 is a plan"iew of the upper side of the crib.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

My invention relates to the detail of constructing and suspending thecrib, whereby a very compact and useful device is provided and itconsists in the construction of the two frames constituting the upperand lower edges, whereby the lower, to which the bottom is fastened, ismade so much smaller than the upper, to which it is connected byflexible bands, as that it will fit exactly and evenly within the samewhen it is desirable to pack the crib for transportation, or forcarryingit in a trunk. It consists, further, in the device as a whole,the crib being so made that the bottom is suspended from the upper edgeor rail by flexible bands, so as to afford a pliant or flexible cribbodythat will yield to a slight motion of an infant, said crib being hung orsustained by means of a spring and cords, or suspenders, so that it iscapable of a vertical vibratory motion.

A andlfi are the upper and lower frames, of wood or other material, Bbeing somewhat smaller than A, so that it may be shut up within A, asseen in Fig. 2. :L- :0 w, &c., are bands of braid or other flexiblematerial connecting the frames A and B, and fixed at equal distancesapart all round the same. 3 y y, 850., are similar bands fixed acrossthe frame 13, Fig. 3, so as to form a bottom to the crib for thereception of the mattress or blanket supporting the child. A canvasbottom may be substituted for the bands 3 3 y, &c. O C O G are eyesscrewed into the four upper corners of the frame A. D and E are cordsattached at their rear ends to the eyes 0 G O C, and passing through oneend of each of the spiral,

steel, or other wire springs S S, (or the springs S S may be made ofindia rubber,) they are confined and prevented from slipping by means ofthe cross-bar F, which is inserted and placed between the same two endsof the springs S S, for the purpose of keeping them apart, as shown thecords or suspenders D and E being thereby jammed between the springs andthe cross-bar F. The other ends of the springs S S are attached to asuspension link or chain, G, terminating in a hook, g, which can beslung either to a hook fixed in the ceiling, or to a bracket. projectingfrom the wall of a room, or, in cases of traveling, to any convenientpoint of attachment on board ship, railway-car, or other conveyance, orto the branch of a tree on the occasion of a picnic.

If desirable, the crib maybe made stationary by suspending it to anupright frame of suitable construction restin g on the ground, two ormore springs similar to S S being attached to each end of the crib,instead of in the middle, as shown, and slung respectively to thecorresponding ends of the cross-bar of the frame overhead.

The bands 00 a m, &c., being flexible, the frame B may be shut up intoframe A, and the crib with its appendages stowed away in the smallestpossible space for convenience of carriage or otherwise.

The advantages of the crib described over that in ordinary use are asfollows: It dispenses with the rocking motion from side to side, soobjectionable on medical grounds, a gentle vertical motion beingsubstituted. It is inaccessible to animals and crawling insects, and itcan be shut up and carried about with ease, the crib complete onlyweighing about four pounds.

I claim as my invent-ion 1. The crib-bottom composed of the frame B andbands y, and combined with the top frame A by means of the flexiblebands :20 a, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

2. The combination of the crib A, B, y, and 00 with the cords orsuspenders D E and springs S, in the manner and for the purposes setforth.

J. D. LlllVIS.

\Vitnesscs:

II. E. GAs'roN, FnANors RomNsoN.

